The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1887-10-28

II ia
quite unlike those that hung before the
doors of our own apartments, and here
stood two particularly handsome girl
mutes, their heads bowed upon their
b0soms, and their hands crossed in an at
dtude of the humblest submission, AS we
came up they each stretched out an arm
and drew back the curtains. Thereupon
Billali did a curious thing. Downhe went,
that venerable looking old gcntlcman-for
Billali is a gentleman ut the bottom-down
on to his hands and knees, and in this UNI
dignifIed position, with his long white
beard trailing on the ground, he began to
creep into the apartment beyond. I fol-
lowed him, walking on my feet in the u.s.
ual fashion. Looking over his shoulder,
he perceived it.
"Down. my son; down my Baboon; down
on thy hands and knees. We enter the
presence Of She, and if thou art not hum
BILE, of a surety she will blast thee where
thou standest."
I halted, and felt scared. Indeed, my
knees began to give way of their own mere
motion; but reflection came to my aid. I
was an Englishman, and why, / asked my
self, should l creep into the presence of
some savage woman as though l were .
monkey in fact as well as IN name? l
would not and could not do it, that is, un-
less I was absolutely sure that my life de.
pended upon it. Ii once l began to creep
lpon ny knees. l should always have to
% 30, and it would be a patent acknowl-
Ddgement of inferiority. So, fortified by
IN insular prejudice against ~"kotouing,"
which has, like most of our so-callcd pre-
judices, a good deal of common sense to
recommend it, l marched in boldly after
Billali. / found myself in another apart
ment, considerably smaller than the ante
room, of which the wallis were entirely
hung with richlooking curtains of the
same make as those over the door-tho
work, as l subsequently discovered, of the
mutes who sat in the ante-chamber and
o them in strips, which were afterward
sewn together. Also here and there about
the room were settces of a beautiful black
wood of the ebony tribe, inlaid with ivory,
and al about the floor were other tapes
tries, or rather rugs. AT tho top end of
this apartment was what appeared to be
= recess, also draped in curtains, through
which shone rays of light. There was no
body l n h place except ourselves.
Painfully and slowly old Billali crept up
the length of the cave, and with the most
dignifled stride that I could command !
followed after him. But l felt that it was
more or less of a failure. To begin with,
1t is not possible to look dignified when
you are following in the wake of an old.
man writhing along on his stomach like .
snake, and then, in order to go sufficiently
slowly, either l had to keep my leg some
seconds in the air ut every step, or else to
advance with q full stop between each
stride, like Mary Queen of Scots going to
execution in a play. Biliali was not good
at crawling( suppose his years stood in
the way-and our progress up that apart
ment was a very long affair. l was i'm
mediately behind him, and several times
Twas sorely tempted to help him on with
agood kick. 1t is SO absurd to advance
into the presence of savage royalty after
the fashion of an Irishman driving a pig
to market, for that is what we looked like,
and the idea nearly made me burst out
laughing then and there. / had to work
my dangerous tendency to rnsecmly mer.
riment off by blowing my nose-a proceed.
ing which filed old Billali with horror, fo9
be looked over his shoulder and made q
CHASTITY face at me-, and l heard him MUIR
mur. "Oh. my poor Baboon."
At last we reached the curtains, and here
Bllali collapsed fiat on to his stomach,
with his hands stretched out before him
IS though he were dead, and I, not know
ing What to do, began to stare about the
place. But presently i distinctly felt that
somebody was looking at me from behind
the curtains. lcould not see the person,
but l could distinctly feel his or her gaze,
ana what Is more, it produced a very odd
erect upon my nerves. I felt frightened,
know why. The place was o strange
one, 1t is true, and looked lonely, notwith-
standing its rich hangings and the soft
glow of the lamps; indeed, these accessories
added to rather than detracted from its
Loneliness, just rs a lighted street at night
Aas always amorc solitary appearance than
dark one. 1t was SO silent in the place,
and there laid Billali like one dead before
the heavy curtains. through which the
odor of perfume seemed to float up toward
the gloom Of the arched roof above. Minute
grew into minute, and still there was nc
sign Of life, nor did the curtain move; but
felt the gaze of the unknown being sink
ing through and through me, and filling
me with q nameless terror, till the perspir-
alton stood in beads upon my brow.
At last the curtain began to move. Who
could be behind it?-solne naked savage
queen, q languishing Oriental baauty, or a
notwithstanding young lady drinking
afternoon tea? I had not the slightest idea
and should not have been astonisl;ed at
seeing any of the three. i was getting lie
vond astonishment. The curtain agitated
itself q little, then suddenly between la
folds there appeared a most beautiful white
hand white us SNOWY, and with long taper.
ing fingers, ending in tho pinkest nails.
The hand grasped the curtain and drew it
aside, and as it did SO I heard q voice, ]
think the softest and yet most silvery voice
Ievsaheard. It reminded me Of the muir
msfofa brook.
ssalrangcr,n said the voice in Arabic, but
mucEpurer and moro classical Arabic than
the Observation-Disclosures wherefore
art thou 80 much afrsid!"
Now I iattercd myself that in spite Of
my inward terrors l had kept q very fail
command Of my countenarce. and wa.
therefore Q little astonished at this ques